Border Fence May Close Preserves, Cede Last Palm Forest to Mexico

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - This week's federal plan to waiveenvironmental protection laws for the border fence spells almostcertain doom for two South Texas nature preserves. The entire Sabal Palm Audubon Center and most of The NatureConservancy's Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve would end up inthe no-man's land between the fence and Mexico. The preserves have supported a growing ecotourism business in aneconomically struggling Lower Rio Grande Valley. The Audubon center attracts 10,000 visitors a year - primarilybirders -to its 557 acres east of Brownsville. Trails wind throughmore than 30 acres of rare sabal palm forest. The federal plans mean the last native sabal palm groves thatonce blanketed thousands of acres along the Rio Grande will beceded to the Mexican side of the fence. Fence planners have suggested they could add an access gate forits property, but the Audubon Society has dismissed that asunworkable once the preserve is behind a steel fence.

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